Ni-ki’s grip tightened as he carried Jungwon through the dark hallways, his tall frame moving quickly but carefully.

His heart was pounding.

Jungwon’s breathing was too shallow. His body was too limp.

Ni-ki swallowed hard. His mind raced with a million questions.

Who had injected him?
What was in that syringe?
And why did Jungwon look like he was about to fade away?

He clenched his jaw. No. That wasn’t happening.

Not while he was here.

The dorm was just ahead. Just a few more steps.

But then—

Ni-ki felt it.

A presence.

His instincts screamed at him.

Slowly, he turned his head.

At the far end of the hallway—a shadow moved.

It was tall. Unnaturally tall.

No features. No face. Just darkness.

And it was watching them.

Ni-ki’s entire body stiffened.

A heavy, suffocating aura filled the air. His breath hitched as the temperature seemed to drop instantly.

The shadow didn’t move.

But Ni-ki knew.

It was waiting.

And if he didn’t get Jungwon out of here right now—

He forced himself to turn away, ignoring the cold sweat running down his back.

One step.

Then another.

He didn’t dare look back.

Not when he could feel the shadow’s gaze following them.

---

Back at the Dorm

The door burst open as Ni-ki stormed inside, startling the other members awake.

“What the—?” Heeseung immediately sat up. His eyes widened when he saw Jungwon unconscious on Ni-ki’s back.

The room erupted into chaos.

“Jungwon?!” Jay was at Ni-ki’s side in seconds. “What happened?”

“Why does he look so pale?” Sunghoon’s voice was sharp with concern.

“Put him down here—hurry,” Jake said, moving blankets aside so Ni-ki could gently lay Jungwon onto the bed.

Ni-ki did as told, but his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

He felt sick.

“The hell happened to him?” Sunoo’s voice trembled as he pushed Jungwon’s hair back, checking for any injuries.

Ni-ki swallowed, his hands clenching into fists.

“There was a syringe in his leg.”

Silence.

Six pairs of eyes snapped toward him.

“…What?” Heeseung’s voice was dangerously low.

Ni-ki exhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. “I don’t know who did it. I don’t know what was in it. All I know is that he collapsed and—and there was something down there.”

Heeseung’s jaw tightened. “What do you mean something?”

Ni-ki’s face darkened. His voice came out low and cold.

“Something was watching us.”

No one spoke.

The air in the room turned heavy.

“…Where were you two?” Jay finally asked, his expression unreadable.

Ni-ki hesitated. “In a hidden basement.”

Jake’s breath hitched. “There’s a basement?”

Ni-ki nodded. “Jungwon found a hidden passage. It led to an underground hallway. There were… cells. Skeletons. Like a prison.” His voice grew quieter. “At the end of the hall, there was a door.”

The boys exchanged uneasy glances.

Sunghoon ran a hand down his face. “You mean the door? The one from the photo?”

Ni-ki nodded. “Yeah.” His fingers twitched. “He was about to open it when I stopped him.”

Jay let out a heavy breath. “Good. Who knows what would’ve been behind it.”

Ni-ki didn’t respond.

He didn’t have the heart to tell them what happened just before they escaped.

The rusty door had opened.

And that bloodstained woman had been inside.

Watching. Smiling.

Like she had been expecting Jungwon.

Ni-ki clenched his fists. He wouldn’t let that thing—whatever it was—take Jungwon.

Never.

---

Meanwhile…

Jungwon drifted in and out of consciousness.

His body felt weightless.

Distantly, he heard voices. The others. Ni-ki.

But they sounded… far away.

Like he wasn’t really there.

Then—

A whisper.

Soft. Cold.

Right against his ear.

“I found you.”

Jungwon’s eyes snapped open.

Jungwon’s breath hitched. His body remained still, but his mind was awake.

The voice—it was right beside him.

Cold. Hollow. Wrong.

His fingers twitched against the bedsheets.

Was he dreaming?

Or was something really here?

A slow, rasping breath echoed near his ear.

Jungwon’s body tensed.

He wanted to move—to scream—but he couldn’t.

His body felt paralyzed.

Then—

A hand.

Ice-cold fingers slid across his cheek, tracing down to his throat.

Jungwon’s pulse pounded violently.

He could hear it—a sickening giggle.

“You look just like him.”

Who?

Who was she talking about?

Jungwon’s heart nearly stopped when he felt lips brush against his ear.

“I should’ve taken you sooner.”

And then—

A sharp pain in his chest.

Jungwon gasped—his body suddenly jerking upright.

---

Back in Reality

Jungwon shot up from the bed, his chest heaving.

The boys immediately turned to him, their relief instant.

“Jungwon!”

Sunoo was the first to reach him, hands gripping his shoulders. “Are you okay?! You scared us!”

Jungwon’s skin was cold. His breathing was too fast.

Heeseung sat at his side, placing a hand on his back. “You just passed out—what happened?”

Jungwon’s lips parted—but nothing came out.

How was he supposed to explain what just happened?

The voice. The touch.

The way it felt so real.

His throat felt dry.

“…I saw her.”

The room fell silent.

Jay’s eyes darkened. “Who?”

Jungwon shuddered, his hands clutching his chest.

“The woman.”

A tense silence stretched between them.

“She was… here?” Jake asked, his voice low.

Jungwon swallowed hard. “I don’t know. It felt like a dream but—” He looked down at his chest, where the sharp pain had been.

His breath hitched.

A faint, red mark trailed across his skin.

Like fingernail scratches.

Jungwon’s body went stiff.

That wasn’t a dream.

Sunghoon cursed under his breath. “What the hell is happening?”

Ni-ki’s fists clenched. “I told you,” he muttered, his jaw tight. “Something is after him.”

Jungwon’s grip on his blanket tightened.

What did she mean—“I should’ve taken you sooner”?

And more importantly—

Who did he look like?

---

Meanwhile…

Beyond the dormitory walls, in the depths of the school’s underground prison, the rusty old door creaked open once more.

A pair of bloodshot eyes glowed from the darkness.

A gurgling whisper echoed through the halls.

“Found you.”